


It's Heating Up in the Steam Pipe Trunk Distribution Venue

by QueenThayet



Series: The West Wing: Queering the Narrative [3]
Category: The West Wing
Genre: A Date, Episode Related, F/F, Flirting, Fluff, Gilbert and Sullivan, Iambic Pentameter, Maybe - Freeform, not really - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-11-11 13:37:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11149521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenThayet/pseuds/QueenThayet
Summary: Set during/after The West Wing S2:E5 "And It's Surely To Their Credit." CJ stayed behind to talk to Ainsley after Sam, Josh, and Toby head back to work. Flirting and awkwardness ensue.





	It's Heating Up in the Steam Pipe Trunk Distribution Venue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [earlgreytea68](https://archiveofourown.org/users/earlgreytea68/gifts).



> Happy Birthday, EGT!!! Thanks for patiently listening to all of my mad shipping during West Wing nights!

Ainsley stood at the top of the stairs on her way down to her office. “Hello? Hello?” she called, thinking she heard something. She hoped there wasn’t a nastier surprise for her than dead flowers and a note calling her a bitch. That hurt, but it wasn’t like it was worse than anything else she had faced. She took a deep breath and turned on the light. Suddenly, she heard singing. And saw Gilbert and Sullivan posters hanging on the walls of the stairway down to her office. 

As she opened the door to her office she heard people singing along with the recording of “He is an Englishman” (from _HMS Pinafore_ ). She turned on the light, grinning as she saw Sam, Josh, CJ and Toby singing with great gusto and saluting her with their coffee cups. She laughed and applauded as they finished the last arpeggio. 

They all had chatted a bit, as they backed her up, obviously, on her disagreement with Mr. Tribbey about the provenance of “He is an Englishman.” Apparently Sam had been the recording secretary for the Princeton Gilbert and Sullivan society for two years. Josh found this piece of information hilarious, apparently, even though he also seemed to know an awful lot about Gilbert and Sullivan.

“You couldn’t leave it alone though, could you, Sam,” Josh teased. “You had to tell Tribbey that he was wrong, after he just backed you up.” 

“Well, he was wrong,” Sam responded primly. Ainsley joined in laughing with everyone else. With her friends? Maybe they could be friends. Because even if they disagreed about certain things, they all believed in doing their duty to serve their country. Sam and Josh and Toby eventually had to go back to work, but CJ lingered behind. 

“Hey, I’m sorry I said I thought you killed your pets,” CJ offered awkwardly. 

“No, it’s fine, I don’t even have any pets, although I was thinking about getting a pet, but it’s hard to have a pet when you work in the White House I imagine because you’re not home a lot,” Ainsley responded all in one breath. 

“I have a goldfish. Her name is Gail. She lives in my office though, so it’s not really a problem that I’m never home.” 

“That’s a solution,” Ainsley said thoughtfully, “although I’m not sure if it would be a good idea to keep a goldfish in the steam pipe trunk distribution venue, aka my office.” 

CJ giggled. “I can’t believe they put you in the steam pipe trunk distribution venue.” 

Ainsley smiled and shrugged. “It’s not the worst place I’ve worked. And I get to work in the White House. So it’s hard to beat that.”

“Thanks for the grand jury thing, also,” CJ said, looking slightly embarrassed. 

“It’s no problem. I’m surprised you didn’t talk to anyone about it though. If nothing else, aren’t Sam and Josh both lawyers?”

“Yeah, I almost talked to Sam, but, I don’t know, I didn’t want to bother them after Rosslyn.” 

“Well feel free to bother me anytime,” Ainsley offered. 

“Everyone else will come around,” CJ said, jumping topics again. 

“It’s fine,” Ainsley repeated resolutely. “Leo has been very kind to me, and I think Mr. Tribbey is not dissatisfied with my work thus far, and Sam seems to have forgiven me for correcting him on _Capitol Beat_. And you guys all showed up here this morning with coffee and operettas, so I’m fine. I don’t have to be liked, I just need to be able to do my job.”

“I don’t know how anyone could dislike you after meeting you,” CJ said, smiling softly at Ainsley. Ainsley felt herself blush slightly. She appreciated CJ’s good opinion though. 

“I’m glad you didn’t dislike me after you met me,” Ainsley said quietly. 

“I couldn’t possibly. You’re kind, and sweet, and honest, and Leo’s right, you have an amazing sense of duty. You took time out of your day to help me out. And you’re tough. Maybe not in a get in your face and yell back sort of way, but you wouldn’t let yourself be cowed by Sam or by Lionel Tribbey or by Joyce and Brookline. And of course you’re brilliant and gorgeous, but I knew that already.” 

Ainsley bit her lip nervously. “You think I’m brilliant and gorgeous?”

CJ smiled back at her assuredly. “Oh yes.” Ainsley blushed harder this time. Was she just imagining the smolder in CJ’s eyes? Was CJ flirting with her? Was she flirting back? Why was this always so difficult to figure out!

CJ’s smile widened. “Do you have plans for dinner?”

“No, not as such, but it’s only ten o’clock, and therefore not really an apropos time for dinner,” Ainsley rambled frenetically. 

CJ gave a burst of laughter. “I didn’t mean right now, I meant at dinner time. Once we’re done with work? Do you anticipate making dinner plans between now and this evening?”

“Yes,” Ainsley felt like her skin was beet red and she wished she could disappear into the floor. 

“Okay, well, if you change your mind,” CJ moved toward the door. 

“Yes I would like to go to dinner with you, not yes I anticipate making plans, although I suppose yes I did make dinner plans between now and this evening because I made plans with you. To go to dinner.”

CJ smiled again and Ainsley felt herself smiling back. “Okay then. Well why don’t you stop by my office when you’re done with your work.” 

“Yes, that seems logical as your office is closer to the outside of the building, so it wouldn’t make sense for you to come all the way down here just so we could go back upstairs.” Ainsley felt the words falling out of her mouth. 

“Yep,” CJ grinned at her, chuckling a little bit. “Okay, I’ll see you later.”

“See you later,” Ainsley responded as CJ left her office and headed back upstairs. She took a deep breath and released it as she collapsed into her chair. She shook her head and tried to get to work and not think about the fact that she maybe, probably, had a date tonight with CJ Cregg.


End file.
